Forefather Issachar, Forefather

Forefather Issachar was the ninth son of the patriarch Jacob, the fifth born to Leah (Gen. 30:14-18; 35:23). His name is interpreted as "reward" or "there is recompense," referring to the circumstances of his birth as described in Genesis. He became the progenitor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel, which inherited fertile lands in the Jezreel Valley.

In his deathbed blessing of his sons, Jacob says of Issachar: "Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between two burdens; he saw that rest was good, and that the land was pleasant; he bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute" (Gen. 49:14-15) — a prophecy of a hard-working tribe attached to the land and submissive to the burden of tribute.

He is commemorated together with all twelve sons of Jacob on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers (a movable feast, the second Sunday before Nativity), when the Church honors the memory of all Old Testament righteous "from Adam to Joseph the Betrothed." Unlike the narrower Sunday of the Holy Fathers (the Sunday immediately before Nativity, dedicated to Christ's direct ancestors according to the Evangelist Matthew's genealogy), Issachar is not included in this second group, as he does not belong to the Messianic line descending through the tribe of Judah.

IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION: the original stub text erroneously stated that Issachar's commemoration falls "on Cheesefare Wednesday" — targeted verification found no confirmation of such a date; Cheesefare Week's own dedicated commemoration (Forgiveness Sunday/Cheesefare Sunday) is devoted to the remembrance of Adam's expulsion from Paradise, not the Old Testament patriarchs. The correct commemoration is the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers. The category has been corrected from righteous to forefather, matching the established practice in this database for the other sons of Jacob.